A popular approach in teaching is what is being called “Teaching Out Loud”. The approach advocated by many of those who use the term is in many ways closer to “Teaching Boldly” (or “Teaching Loud”) than it is to Teaching out Loud. The idea is to advocate for the courage to try new things and to teach the ways students learn. While this is important, there is another approach that has received far less attention, but that is equally important, especially with adult learners. This approach is called the Teach Aloud Protocal (T.A.P.), and it draws inspiration from the “Think Aloud” idea in psychological and educational research. The basic idea is that the ‘subject’ says what they are thinking about as they complete a task. The goal is to learn about the thought processes the subject is using. Given that, “Teaching Aloud” should be about the teacher explaining their reasoning and thought processes while teaching. This presentation will relate the author’s experiences with this approach and discuss some of the implications of adopting a Teach Aloud Protocol in higher education courses.

1. © K.Becker, 2017
T.A.P.: The
Teach Aloud
Protocol
bit.ly/kb-2017-taptalk
Katrin Becker
For more info, try:
http://gameful-learning.com/
#3. May 18 10:45 - 11:45
Cedar

2. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Every student in every class deserves
an answer to these 2 questions
1. Why am I doing this?
2. What is it good for?
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3. Title© K.Becker, 2017
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
If you can’t
answer those
questions clearly
and honestly,
then you really
need to take
some time to
think.
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4. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Warning:
Some may find this inflammatory.
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5. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Connect the Dots
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6. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Teaching Out Loud
The approach advocated by many of those who use the term
seems to me
to be closer to
“Teaching Boldly”
(or “Teaching Loud”)
than it is to
Teaching out Loud.
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7. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Teaching Out Loud
“It’s time for educators
to teach out loud. To
have the courage to
teach the way students
learn. To have the
courage to try new
things. To have the
courage to fight for
their students.”
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8. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Teaching Out Loud
“Teaching Out Loud invites
teachers to make sense of
their experiences through story
and reclaim teaching and
learning from those who have
sought to control and profit
from it.”
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9. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Teaching out Loud
GREAT IDEA!
BUT….
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10. Title© K.Becker, 2017
From Think Aloud to Teach Aloud
Subject says what they are
thinking about as they
complete a task.
The Goal: to learn about
the thought processes.
Given that,
“Teaching Aloud”
⇒
The teacher explaining
their reasoning and
thought processes while
teaching.
Think Aloud10

11. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Becker’s Teach Aloud Protocol (T.A.P.)
Letting my
students know
why I am asking
them to do
AND
Telling them what
I want them to get
out of it.
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12. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Becker’s Teach Aloud Protocol (T.A.P.)
Goes beyond the course syllabi (most
students never read those anyways).
Requires me to be:
1. Deliberate about every single
thing I do in class.
2. Clear on why I am asking them
to do this, and how it will benefit
them.
3. Prepared to explain why I am
doing it the way I am.
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13. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Becker’s Teach Aloud Protocol (T.A.P.)
Justifying
Instruction
&
Justifying
Pedagogy
I am treating them as
fellow adults by
inviting them into my
circle.
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14. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Quid Pro Quo
Of course,
this too can easily become
just another academic exercise*
so it requires an additional step:
I must ask my students to critique
what I’m doing,
AND I must be willing to consider
those critiques WITHOUT penalizing
my students in any way.
* a.k.a. intellectual masturbation 14

15. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Quid Pro Quo
Perhaps, it didn’t
work at all and I
should
completely re-
think the whole
exercise.
I need to ask:
How did it
go?
How can I
improve this
so it works
better?
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16. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Critical Incident Questionnaire
1. At what moment in the class this week did you feel most engaged
with what was happening?
2. At what moment in the class this week did you feel most distanced
from what was happening?
3. What action that anyone (teacher or student) took in class this
week did you find most affirming and helpful?
4. What action that anyone (teacher or student) took in class this
week did you did most puzzling or confusing?
5. What about the class this week surprised you the most? (This could
be something about your own reactions to what went on, or
something that someone did, or anything else that occurs to you.)
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17. Title© K.Becker, 2017
When I Ask MYSELF…..
What is it Good
For?
Why Am I
Making Them Do
This?
Why Am I Doing
This THIS WAY?
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18. Title© K.Becker, 2017
What if I DON’T
? ? ?
Shook my whole philosophy
of education.
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19. Title© K.Becker, 2017
What if I don’t?
● What if I don’t?
In other words, what is lost
if I DON’T do this?
● What is lost if I DON’T set a
hard deadline?
● What if I drop the typical
rule that says students
can’t submit the same
work in two (or more)
different classes for credit?
● What do I or my students
lose if don’t have a high-
stakes exam?
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20. Title© K.Becker, 2017
The End Result?
Question
EVERYTHING
Still useful?
KEEP IT
Can’t answer why?
LET IT GO.
TRY SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
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21. Title© K.Becker, 2017
The End Result?
Engaged
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22. Title© K.Becker, 2017
22
In case you are
wondering,
these are the
professors (6 of
them) and grad
students (the
other 2) who
taught me when
I was an
undergrad.
Most of them
were quite
happy to
answer WHY
and WHAT IF
questions.
That's
important.

23. Title© K.Becker, 2017
The TAP Protocol
My 2 FAVORITE Questions:
1. Why are we doing this?
2. What is it good for?
T.A.P tells students...
1. Why I am asking them to do what I am
asking them to do. (see #1 above)
2. What I want them to get out of it.
(see #2 above)
3. Why am I doing it this way.
Ask YOURSELF...
1. What is it Good For?
2. Why Am I Making Them Do This?
3. Why Am I Doing This THIS WAY?
4. What will break if I DON’T do this?
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24. Title© K.Becker, 2017
Abstract
A popular approach in teaching is what is being called “Teaching Out Loud”. The
approach advocated by many of those who use the term is in many ways closer to
“Teaching Boldly” (or “Teaching Loud”) than it is to Teaching out Loud. The idea is to
advocate for the courage to try new things and to teach the ways students learn.
While this is important, there is another approach that has received far less attention,
but that is equally important, especially with adult learners. This approach is called the
Teach Aloud Protocal (T.A.P.), and it draws inspiration from the “Think Aloud” idea in
psychological and educational research. The basic idea is that the ‘subject’ says what
they are thinking about as they complete a task. The goal is to learn about the thought
processes the subject is using. Given that, “Teaching Aloud” should be about the
teacher explaining their reasoning and thought processes while teaching. This
presentation will relate the author’s experiences with this approach and discuss some
of the implications of adopting a Teach Aloud Protocol in higher education courses.
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